We Need to Talk About Charli XCX’s Very Important “Boys” Video

Yesterday, Charli XCX released a self-directed, boy-packed video for her crush anthem “Boys.” The instant-classic clip, which racked up nearly 3 million YouTube views in the span of a day, is like a slightly cooler TigerBeat come to life: Diplo and Khalid cuddle with puppies, Joe Jonas tucks into a tall stack, Riz Ahmed gets cozy with a teddy bear, Panic! at the Disco’s Brendon Urie luxuriates in a pile of rose petals, and so on. Even basic grooming activities are elevated to “sexy” status, at least when they’re dripping in millennial pink: Mark Ronson runs a comb through his hair, Ezra Koenig brushes his teeth (with Ronson’s toothbrush), and Rostam gets his head shaved. It really shouldn’t be that hot, and yet.

In an interview with BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac, Charli XCX outlined her thinking behind the clip, addressing its gender role reversal. “They’re basically doing all the sexy things that girls usually do in videos,” she said. “I started thinking about all the guys that I’ve worked with or met [throughout all] my years in the industry... I just want to flip the male gaze on its head and have you guys do the sexy stuff.” Instead of using the men as mere anonymous props like the video girls they’re based on, though, Charli really features the boys. She gives them specific tasks that are innocent in some way, from throwing confetti to reading books to eating sweets. As a result, the video becomes a slideshow of alternative masculinity, exhibited in various ways by men of different races, body types, and styles. There’s no one way “a man should be” here (unless “fun, flirty, and sweet as candy” counts), so there ends up being a little something for everyone.

While the “Boys” video could be seen as a dreamy respite from toxic masculinity—from the seemingly unceasing news of sexual assault allegations and predatory statements—the clip also isn’t perfect. Charli XCX employs individuals (like Diplo and the Fat Jew) who have said or done questionable things in the past, placing puppies in their arms and framing them with a pretense of innocence. Additionally, while the video stars black men and a handful of South-Asian and Asian men, the longer shots are mostly granted to the conventionally hunky white guys like Jonas, Urie, and Diplo.

Despite this, though, Charli XCX’s “Boys” video takes another crucial step toward legitimizing teen-girl fandom—one that, as evidenced by the YouTube comments, moves in myriad directions. Most of the commenters are there to claim their boy of choice: “I came here for Connor﻿ [Franta],” “Honestly just watched this cause I heard Jay Park was in this from Twitter﻿,” “Fuck Jay Park what about Mac DeMarco,” “I only came here for Brendon Urie,” “Why isn't anyone talking about Charlie Puth?!﻿” and so on. The comments hammer home a key point—that there are so many different dream-dude templates besides the ones pop culture tends to show—while also highlighting strains of fandom you perhaps didn’t even know existed. Let’s run through almost all the boys right quick, shall we?